


Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One. Zero

by Kratos_Aurion (Velvet_Crowe)



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Dark, Domestic Violence, Dysfunctional Family, Flashbacks, Happy Ending, Homophobia, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape/Non-con Elements, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 00:11:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10910298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velvet_Crowe/pseuds/Kratos_Aurion
Summary: Told over six months, how L and Light came to be in a hospital room with very different scars.Alternate Universe.





	Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One. Zero

**Author's Note:**

> This is very dark, with only a slight ray of happiness at the end. Lots and lots of triggers. Please read cautiously.

L clasped Light’s hand. 

 

The younger man was laid out on the hospital bed, completely unconscious, completely beaten within an inch of his life. 

 

“I’m so sorry…” 

 

L couldn't believe how they had gotten to this point. Light-kun was supposed to be laughing at L’s dinner habits right now, happy and content. L had even imagined proposing within the next month. He’d bought the ring over a year ago, thinking that he and Light would be together forever. 

 

But, now. Light lay still, broken, and …  

 

Light’s father was on the way. L didn’t even want to imaging what Detective Yagami would say when he saw the condition of his son. The chief of police was notoriously old-fashioned. Of course he never allowed his personal views to interfere with justice, and L could respect him for that, and he knew Light did too. But now that it was his own son… 

 

How could Soichiro Yagami possibly deal with this?

 

Mikami was going to pay. 

 

It had to be stopped. Light couldn’t be left to that man any more. L would do anything in his power to get the beautiful brunette back. It’s my fault anyway, he thought miserably. 

 

If he hadn’t cheated on Light…. 

 

None of this would have happened. 

 

Light would not have left him. L would not have wasted half a year of his life dating a man he didn’t love. And most importantly, Light would not be laying here, minutes from death.

 

* * *

 

Six months ago. 

 

Light stood in the doorway. Shocked. That was the correct emotion. 

 

To be fair, he wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be in class, listening to a lecture psychopathic psychology. They were covering the BB Murders today. One of the detectives who had been part of the investigation was going to guest lecture. Class had started nine minutes ago.

 

Light had had every intention of attending. He’d packed his backpack, dressed appropriately, in case he could speak with the detective after the talk. He was supposed to be sitting in the front row right now. 

 

He was not supposed to be here. Standing in the hall of the empty mansion. The site of the party of the year, which had ended in the early hours of this morning. He was not supposed to be looking into the guest bedroom. 

 

Watching L fuck another man into a bed that was not their own. 

 

He should have been able to look away. Light knew that he should have ran out of the house a the first indication of sex. Perhaps then, he would have come home after the lecture and found L waiting for him. And they could have had sex to celebrate the ending of the semester. 

 

Light closed his eyes. But it didn’t make a difference. He could still hear the slap of skin against skin. Could still hear L’s groans. And the other man’s sighs. That was part of why he hadn’t turned around and left yet. He didn’t know who the other man was. Maybe he was Light’s twin. A long lost doppleganger, that L could be forgiven for mistaking as Light. 

 

But that would be impossible. Because L was too smart. 

 

Like Light, L knew he was having sex with a man who was not his boyfriend. 

 

It felt like hours. Light stood there. The man on the bed gasped. Then moaned. L’s dark head lowered to kiss the mostly hidden figure. As he leaned forward, Light saw his thrust speed up. L pushed the man into the mattress, groaning. 

 

From his position at the door, Light could see the sharp angular hips of his lover, repeatedly rocking forward. He could see where L’s cock disappeared into an ass that wasn’t his. He could see the lover’s legs shaking, as L’s hands stretched them farther apart. 

 

“L! I’m... “

 

“Come for me.”

 

L’s deep, melodic voice was what did it. Those three syllables unfroze Light from his position, and he was able to turn and flee. Down the staircase. Out the front door. 

 

He hadn’t grabbed the jacket he’d returned for. And he didn’t care. 

 

Light nearly sprinted back to the apartment. The images he’d witnessed obscured his vision so thoroughly, he nearly met his end at the front of three different moving vehicles. But thankfully, none of those drivers had just witnessed the man they’d loved betraying them, so the brunette made it back to his door alive.

 

Sort of.  

 

He stood there, staring at the wood for almost a full minute, before remembering the key was in his front pocket. 

 

L had told him he’d be home after the lecture. That meant Light had less than twenty minutes to gather his things and get out. 

 

Once the door was open, the brunette tore through the apartment he and L had shared for two years. Grabbing everything that fell into the intersection of ‘mine’ and ‘does not remind me of L’. 

 

It took him ten minutes. 

 

Light didn’t bother locking the door behind him as he fled yet another scene today. He wasn’t really sure where he was going to go, but… He was Light Yagami. 

 

The golden boy of campus. He had a thousand friends and a thousand more admirers.

 

He paused outside the building, staring down the road at the surging crowds. L would come home to an empty house. And the bastard would probably be relieved. 

 

Light swallowed, and started south. 

 

Fuck L. 

 

* * *

 

“Is he going to be alright?”

 

“Mr. Yagami, please. Your son has sustained a significant number of injuries, and most of them were not from today. We need to discuss his condition, but I think it would be in the patient's best interest to do so in private.”

 

“I’m not leaving Light-kun.” L snapped to the attending. “Yagami-san, I would prefer to hear the details of Light-kun’s condition, but if you do not wish me to, then she will have to tell you elsewhere.”

 

“L has been Light’s friend since they were children,” Detective Yagami mumbled, mostly to himself, “They’re more like brothers anyway. He has my permission to stay.”

 

“I believe I am Light-kun’s emergency contact on campus anyway,” L added. 

 

The police chief blinked, surprised. 

 

“Alright,” the attending sighed, “To be succinct, your son has been involved in an abusive relationship for some time now. Many of his injuries are weeks old. The severest one, the blow to his head, obviously occurred today, but he has bone fractures and bruising at several different stages of healing.”

 

L shook with rage. Mikami had been doing this to Light for months. Ever since Light left him, L realized. Six months. L frowned. It didn’t make sense though. Light Yagami was the Light Yagami. The perfect student, the perfect son, always gorgeous, teachers’ pet, outwardly straight, outwardly fake… 

 

“What are you talking about?” Soichiro Yagami growled. 

 

The police chief probably thought Light had been assaulted. That this had been a one-time home invasion gone wrong. Not that his son was involved in a secret homosexual relationship that had passed the point of consensual. 

 

“Mr. Yagami,” the attending shot a furtive glance at L, clearly worried about the embarrassment her report would bring, “Your son has been raped. Semen was found in his stomach, as well as on his person and in his rectum. Based on the tearing and scar tissue, he has had frequent rough anal sex for some time.”

 

L’s grip on Light’s hand tightened. When they’d been together, Light had bottomed more often than not, but L had never, ever been rough enough to cause bleeding and nothing that would lead to scarring. That bastard… 

 

“My son is not a fag!” Yagami-san yelled.

 

“Sir, whether he is gay or not, he’s been sexually assaulted. Based on his most recent injuries, he was struck multiple times in the ribs - he has three cracked ones, forced to give oral sex - as evidenced by the bruising at the back of his throat and semen in his stomach, then subject to rough anal penetration, probably by another man’s penis, as more semen was found inside him. The blow which left him unconscious, was from a blunt object which struck his temple. It could have been a countertop as he fell, or something like a heavy book or other weapon. There is a good chance he was already unconscious when most of this happened.”

 

The police chief was snarling. “Whoever assaulted my son will be caught. And he will pay for doing this to Light.”

 

L stared down at the younger Yagami’s beautiful face, still unconscious in his four hour coma. The raven could tell the police chief exactly who had done this to his son, assuming the man would calm down enough to listen. But that was precisely what Light had taken this beating to avoid. He didn’t want his father to know he was gay. 

 

Light couldn’t handle not being perfect. 

 

That was the whole reason why L had cheated in the first place. 

 

Because being perfect meant Light Yagami was straight. And he would never acknowledge or accept L, as the love of his life, before his family or their friends. 

 

Never.

 

The first night L had slept with Near, had been the same night Light’s mother had brought Misa Amane to the family dinner, as a setup for Light. After the girl had left, his parents had spent over an hour telling Light what a beautiful couple they’d make. And Light had smiled and agreed.

 

L had sat across from him the whole time. 

 

That entire night, his boyfriend, his sexy, beautiful, amazing boyfriend, who had told him he’d loved him, had told him he wanted to be with him forever, made plans to date and court a woman so far below his intelligence level, it was just depressing. By doing so, Light had denied L entirely and denied their relationship. That was when L realized what being with Light would mean. 

 

Light was perfect. The perfect son. He would never defy his parents. He would date Misa Amane. He would marry her, or the next girl Sachiko brought to dinner. 

 

L would always be the dirty little secret. 

 

It was never going to change. 

 

The raven had headed back to campus early that night. But when he’d stood outside their building, he couldn’t go in. L was used to being rejected and ridiculed. It came with territory of being different. And smarter than everyone else. But L wasn’t used to being rejected by Light.

 

The raven had kept walking, following his feet. Until he’d ended up at the head of the first year class’s house. He’d had a couple conversations with the freshman before. Near was on the same level as he and Light, in terms of intelligence. And openly gay. And had obvious crushes on both L and Light since he’d arrived. 

 

It had started with a discussion of morals. But L wasn’t naive enough to think that he’d gone there with innocent intentions. He’d just been too hurt by Light. 

 

After that, he’d seen Near twice a week. Once during Light’s psych class and once during Light’s family dinner.

 

Until Light had found out. 

 

L wasn’t even surprised the day he’d come home from Near’s mansion to find his apartment half empty. At first, he wondered if it had been broken into, since Light was supposed to have been in class. But when he realized it was only Light’s things that were gone, and only the essentials, L knew Light knew. 

 

Until that moment, the raven had only known how hurt he was after Light had flirted a single night away with a pretty girl. It didn’t even compare to the gut wrenching agony he felt, at realizing Light was gone. 

 

And that he, L, wouldn’t even get to be the dirty little secret anymore. 

 

That had been the worst moment of his life. His wrists had the scars to prove it. 

 

* * *

 

Five months earlier… 

 

Light pounded his fist against the hard tile of the shower. That bastard. That fucking bastard.

 

L had had the balls to walk by him, in the middle of campus, holding that bastard Near’s hand. The brunette had been on the way to his advisor’s office when he’d seen his former lover strolling through the main square, a younger man on his arm. Now Light knew who had been on that mattress, under L.

 

“Light?”

 

The brunette sighed, shrugging back into the cold water. He’d been in the shower for over an hour now. Mikami was probably worried about the bill. 

 

He stepped out, grabbing the rough towel. “I’ll be out in a second.”

 

When he was fully dressed, Light stepped out into the main room of the studio, to see Mikami spooning rice onto a plate for him at the counter. Light stood motionless, watching the domesticity of the scene.

 

Mikami had generously allowed Light to crash on his futon, while the brunette figured out what the hell to do with himself now that L was out of his life. With the notable exception of seeing L walk by flaunting his newest piece of candy, Light had been able to avoid the man for the last several weeks. He’d blocked L’s number and made sure never to look when the professors called on the raven in their shared classes. 

 

“You alright?” Mikami asked, looking up.

 

Light took a moment to really look at this friend. Mikami was attractive, older, and so different from L. He ate normal food and didn’t slouch. He was more sophisticated than the younger slut L had replaced Light with. 

 

The memory jarred Light out of the present. Seeing them had hurt. 

 

Almost as much as watching them have sex. 

 

The effort Light put into being perfect, from the tips of his hair to the tips of his toes, for his family, and for L, was essential to Light’s identity. He had been being perfect for so long that it had become who he was. And standing in that doorway a month ago, watching L, he’d realized perfection wasn’t enough. That despite all his effort, to learn that he had just been a placeholder, a stand in, until L found the genius he really wanted to be with… It fucking hurt.

 

But the law student in front of him was different. Mikami wasn’t someone Light had grown up with, or had thought he’d known better than anyone. Mikami was new and unknown. And Light Yagami was Light fucking Yagami. He wasn’t someone to be cast aside for a newer model.

 

And he sure as hell wasn’t someone who would let a sleep-deprived, faithless freak haunt him. 

 

Light suddenly realized he hadn’t answered Mikami’s question. He also realized that he had no interest in the dinner the older man was preparing. 

 

“Mikami,” Light started, “Will you fuck me?”

 

* * *

 

“How long will it take for him to wake up?” 

 

The nurse glanced up at L with sad eyes. “It’s hard to say. He has a severe concussion; we would have hoped that he’d be awake by now.”

 

L didn’t ask a followup. Light-kun was going to escape this coma. He had to. 

 

Light’s father was outside, discussing his son’s case with two other detectives. L assumed he was eager to handle the evidence quite delicately. Right now, Soichiro Yagami could convince himself that his son had been threatened into an abusive relationship, and the stress of university had prevented Light from seeing any way out. In that scenario, Light was a victim, something to be pitied and ashamed of. But that scenario had to be far less dishonorable in Yagami-san's mind, than his son being a gay man, driven into an unhealthy relationship by another homosexual man, who happened sitting by his bedside. 

 

The door opened and Detective Yagami stepped back in. 

 

“L?”

 

The raven blinked up, surprised at being addressed. 

 

“What is it?”

 

“Do you…” Light’s father struggled to ask for the answers he really did not want. “Do you… know… who might have done this to Light?”

 

“Mikami Teru,” L answered honestly. The raven had exactly zero compunction about turning that sadistic animal over to the police. 

 

“Teru? That’s the name of the person who owned the apartment where you found Light?”

 

“Light-kun has been living with Mikami Teru for six months now.” Ever since L broke his trust. Detective Yagami looked startled, so L elaborated, “We had a fight, and haven’t spoken much since then.” Ninety six words, to be exact. “But I know that is where he was staying.”

 

Detective Yagami’s face had turned dark. Light had obviously not told his parents that he’d moved out of his and L’s apartment. That would have led to dangerous questions. So it came as no surprise that Yagami-san was edging toward boiling over.

 

“Did… Was… Was Light in a relationship with Mikami Teru?” The man nearly choked on the words.

 

L pressed his free thumb into his lips. His other hand remained firmly curled around Light’s limp fingers. The honest answer was that Light had been dating Mikami for at least five months. That’s when L had first seen them together, Mikami holding Light’s hand leaving the coffee shop. After that, for the first time in his life, L had begun listening for the quiet gossip of his peers. Rumors began to spread, saying that the golden boy wasn’t so golden. Of course, Light’s popularity was so ingrained that the entirety of the university had forgiven him immediately, for sneaking around in the closet. As a result, the relationship had become public, the two arriving and leaving parties together, Mikami walking Light to his classes, holding hands…. 

 

Seeing that had been almost as bad as when Light had left. Apparently, L wasn’t enough for Light to out himself, but Mikami Teru was. In hindsight, L should have known that Light would never had exposed his sexuality of his own accord. 

 

L swallowed. In the last four months, he had only seen Light without Mikami during the three classes they’d shared. And Mikami was always waiting for Light after. He hadn’t seen Light-kun studying in the library or on the tennis courts. Not that he had gone looking. L had been dating Near at the time. But, he’d assumed Light had been avoiding all the places where he might have run into L. 

 

In light of Light’s injuries, L had a new perspective on his former best friend’s changes in habit.

 

Mikami’s caring gestures didn’t seem caring anymore. They’d been possessive. Almost like Light was being watched, every minute of the day. 

 

L remembered the conversation he’d heard Mikami and Light having in the men’s room after last week’s lecture, when L and Light had been assigned as partners. L had closeted himself in the stall, needing time to come to grips with the fact that he was going to have to spend a lot of one-on-one time working with Light for this project, when he’d heard them come in. Like any sane person, he’d stayed out of sight, not wanting to deal with his former lover and the former lover’s new lover. 

 

Mikami was furious. He accused Light of planning this. Of seeking L out. Of wanting to hurt himself more. Light’s replies had been cold and heartless. He’d said L was the last person who he wanted to work with, and he’d check with the professor to see if he could switch partners. There had been a long silence, where L had started to wonder if he simply hadn’t heard them leave. But as he’d peeked through the crack in the door, he’d seen Mikami facing the wall, Light hidden behind the larger man. L had closed his eyes, assuming they were kissing and making up. 

 

Light had come to class the next day with a turtleneck and a rasp in his voice. 

 

Now, sitting here in the hospital, L realized that Mikami had had his hands around Light’s throat. There were similar bruises on Light’s neck today. All the little things like that started to reveal themselves. The decrease in tennis matches. Light was too smart to play with broken bones. The increase in drinking. At parties, Light would drink whatever Mikami gave him, which was far more than the brunette used to consume. Not that L had been watching them, from across the room. 

 

And Light had worn a lot of turtlenecks. 

 

L sighed. Most everyone on campus knew that Light and Mikami had been together. Some might have even noticed bits and pieces of the abuse. If it had been anyone else, he would have seen it. The police were going to interview Light’s friends, so there could be no hiding it. 

 

“Yes, they were dating.”

 

* * *

 

Four months ago… 

 

The first time Mikami had hit him, the older man had apologized profusely, dropping to his knees and begging Light’s forgiveness. 

 

Light had just told him he’d snuck back to his former apartment to fetch some books he’d left behind. Mikami had screamed at him, accusing Light of cheating on him with L. To which Light had screamed back. That he would never cheat, because he refused to be like L. The conversation had escalated. When Light had screamed that L had been his first love and he’d been a fool for falling for the freak, Mikami had slapped him across the face. 

 

The blow was hard enough that Light stumbled back, catching himself against the wall. Mikami immediately dropped to the floor and wrapped his arms around Light’s legs. 

 

“I’m so sorry. Light, please, I’m sorry. I just… I hate him for what he’s done to you. You called yourself a fool and you’re not. You’re perfect. And he’s the fool for giving you up. I’m so sorry. I just… It hurt so much to hear you blame yourself. You’re perfect, so perfect. And I want you to know that. I need you to know that, and I can’t… I can’t let you think otherwise. I’m so sorry.”

 

Light’s cheek had stung, but he could see why Mikami had snapped. As much as his skin tingled, the anger and pain at the mention of the raven was far worse. 

 

Besides, L had never apologized for kicking him. 

 

The second time Mikami had hit him, Light had been staring at L from across the square. Mikami had dragged him into a back alleyway and demanded to know what was wrong with him, why he was hung up on a loser like L. 

 

“You’re so much better than he is! You have to know that! You can’t let him drag you down like this!”

 

He’d shoved Light against the brick wall, hard enough for Light’s skull to crack. 

 

Mikami had then, in exceptionally colorful language, debased L for daring to show his face on campus. He’d begged Light to forget about L. And Light had wanted to. 

 

Their fucking became rougher. 

 

Mikami eventually caught on to the fact that Light tended to zone out during sex, unable to resist thinking about how L used to take him. Mikami had refused to let Light think about L in bed, fucking him harder and harder, eventually holding him in place by the throat so Light couldn’t look away from who was really above him. 

 

Then came the day of the debate. The professors loved pitting L and Light against each other, and there was no escaping the discussion. Both L and Light had answered the prompts with dripping sarcasm, but never actually addressed each other. Until the end. 

 

“Light-kun is incorrect, and he should know no such circumstances exist where such justice is inapplicable.”

 

“Except beneath the sheets, right L?”

 

The class had been startled by Light’s innuendo, but the brunette smirked and finished his argument. L hadn’t offered a rebuttal. At the end of class, Light strode out the door, turning the corner to meet Mikami, when he’d felt a hand on his shoulder. 

 

“Light-kun…”

 

“Get away from me,” Light had snapped, spinning on his heel, ready to punch the raven in the face. 

 

L’s hand fell away, to be immediately replaced by a new one. Light glanced over his shoulder to see Mikami’s eyes blazing. 

 

“You heard him,” Mikami nearly growled. 

 

L’s dark eyes never left Light’s face, but Light shook his head and turned away, letting Mikami guide him back to the car. 

 

That night was the first time Mikami whipped him. 

 

It had started with gentler sex than usual. Mikami had praised Light for pushing L away and for winning the debate. Light had been so emotionally exhausted from having to deal with L that he fell asleep soon after. 

 

He’d awoken in the middle of the night to his hands tied to the bedpost, and his ankles to the foot of the bed. 

 

“You were calling out L’s name while you slept,” Mikami accused, when it became clear Light was awake. “You were doing so well. You don’t need him. You can’t let him keep hurting you like this. I have to help you move on.”   
  


It was true. Light had been dreaming about L, about the days just before the party at Near’s mansion. Specifically, how L used to shove every type of pastry into Light’s face the day after an exam. The familiar clench in Light’s chest came at the exact moment Mikami’s belt descended on his shoulders. 

 

There had been twenty four lashes that night.

 

Light had been picturing the last strawberry L had offered him the entire time. 

 

* * *

 

“Light-kun, please wake up.”

 

It was past visiting hours now. The nurses had come round to clear out all the rooms, but L ducked behind the door when Light’s room was checked. Detective Yagami had left several hours ago, to arrest Mikami Teru. 

 

Watari had texted L when that the bastard was finally in custody. 

 

L had thought he’d be happy about this, but with Light still unconscious, there was no room for happiness. 

 

After he’d checked Watari’s text, that L realized Near had been trying to contact him for the last couple of hours. The raven sighed as he scrolled through the texts. He and Light should have finished the work on their project before dinner. Yesterday. It was two in the morning. Near was right to be concerned. L reluctantly typed out a message, explaining that he was alright, but Light was in the hospital, and he’d call Near first thing in the the morning. He expected, and was not disappointed, when his phone started ringing immediately.

 

L looked down at Light again, squeezing the fingers as he answered Near’s call. 

 

“What happened?”

 

“It appears Mikami attacked Light-kun. Light-kun is still unconscious. Mikami has been arrested.”

 

Near was intelligent, highly intelligent. He knew visiting hours were over. And he knew L hadn’t come home. And L knew he knew.

 

“L, come home.”

 

“I cannot.”

 

“L, it’s not your job to be there.”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

L used his free hand to brush Light’s hair off his forehead. This was where he belonged, and he was not leaving until Light sat up, looked him in the eyes, and told him to go. And maybe not even then. 

 

Near was quiet; L could hear his boyfriend’s shallow breaths on the other end of the line. He and Near had been dating openly for almost six months now. Near had known how L felt about Light when they were sneaking around, and Near was well aware L’s feelings were nowhere close to gone, even half a year later. 

 

The line went dead. 

 

L let the phone fall to the bed, and he clasped Light’s hand with both of his. The raven bowed his head over the pale fingers in his grip, wanting desperately to kiss every fingertip and then every bruise and every cut. 

 

“You should go.”

 

L’s head snapped up meet cinnamon eyes.

 

“Light-kun!”

 

He was awake. 

 

Light was awake. 

 

L gave up resisting and kissed Light’s knuckles, ignoring the weak gasp from the patient.

 

The brunette’s face was exhausted, but his eyes were open. And even lying in a hospital bed, Light-kun still looked perfect. 

 

Beneath that though, L could see the streaks of pain. That bastard Mikami would pay. 

 

But right now, that didn’t matter, because L was staring into the eyes of the man he’d loved for as long as he could remember. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Light breathed. 

 

The brunette’s voice was gone, probably from the choking he’d suffered. It sounded as though even whispering was painful. He struggled to speak anyway. 

 

“You should leave.”

 

“No,” L replied evenly. “I am not leaving you.”

 

“You should go home to Near,” Light rasped.

 

L frowned. The words didn’t even sound venomous. Just sorrowful. Light closed his eyes again, turning towards the ceiling. 

 

The raven moved his thumb so he could feel Light’s pulse at his wrist. “How much pain are you in?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“You are lying.”

 

“Why do you care?”

 

“Because I love you.”

 

* * *

 

Three months ago… 

 

“I love you.”

 

Light looked up from the floor, to stare at Mikami. His wrist was likely broken, having fallen awkwardly from how Mikami had shoved him. 

 

“I love you, Light,” Mikami repeated. 

 

Light’s whole body went rigid. 

 

L had said he loved him too. Had told him everyday. Including the morning before Light had seen him cheating. Light had laughed and kissed him. Then Light had said it back, as he rushed out the door to class. It was the last thing they’d said to each other before L had fucked Near in front of him. 

 

“Don’t lie to me,” Light snapped.

 

The grad student’s eyes widened. 

 

Mikami shouted, “You think I’m lying to you?!”

 

He advanced on Light, pinning him to the ground, and yanking his broken arm behind his back. 

 

“I would never lie to you! I’m not like him!”

 

The older man shoved Light’s face into the ground, holding him down with one arm. Mikami’s other hand grasped the hem of Light’s pants and ripped them down, snapping the button on the front. Light felt the zipper scratch down his groin and thighs, as Mikami continued pulling. 

 

“I will prove how much I love you! I will show you how much you deserve to be loved! How utterly perfect you are!”

 

With Light’s pants out of the way, Mikami undid his own. 

 

“I want you to feel this! I want you to feel only this! To forget about him! I’ll show you how much I love you!”

 

Light screamed as he thrust in dry. 

 

Mikami pounded him into the floor, brutally fucking and holding Light in place by the back of his neck. Mikami had stopped bothering with lube a couple weeks ago. Light had stopped going to tennis matches even before that. He really only ever left the apartment for classes, and he was skilled enough to hide the limp for the time it took him to walk to his seat. 

 

This rough fucking never lasted long, as Mikami was always so aroused by Light that he would come quickly. 

 

However, he’d started noticing that Light generally didn’t come. Once Mikami had made it impossible for Light to think about L during sex, Light had stopped being turned on by the act. So now, usually once Mikami was done, if Light hadn’t finished, Mikami would spank or whip him, then tie him to the bed with a vibrator in his ass until Light found his orgasm. 

 

This time, it was different.

 

Mikami ejaculated, praising Light for his perfection. He then rolled the panting brunette onto his front. 

 

“I know you’ve been thinking about L,” he whispered into Light’s ear. “You talk about him in your sleep, still. I promise, I’ll help you forget him. I bought some stuff to help.”

 

Light found himself tied to Mikami’s bed again, wrist throbbing. It was different from the bed he and L had shared. Softer. L had always prefered a firmer mattress so he could work when he couldn’t sleep. Light watched as Mikami bound him to the bed in the usual way, gagging him with thick cloth. Whatever Mikami was planning would be undoubtedly painful, but Light just couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

 

And while Light did not believe for a second that Mikami, or L, had ever truly loved him, the brunette could see that Mikami was plainly obsessed with him. The older man truly wanted to help Light forget about L. Something Light had been trying to do for months. Mikami was right. Light did still dream about L. Nothing Light was doing to forget was working. 

 

So he allowed Mikami to try his way; sometimes it worked and there were moments when Light was able to forget.

 

That night, Mikami pierced Light’s nipples. 

 

Light had screamed through the gag, but Mikami had reassured him over and over that he was beautiful and it would be okay. That was the first time Light had cared about what Mikami did to him, but he was left tied to the bed for the rest of the night, with the gag still in his mouth. In the morning, he’d removed the metal rings from each nipple in the shower and went to class as flawless as ever. 

 

Besides, nothing Mikami did to him ever hurt as much as watching Near kiss L on the steps of their apartment building.

 

* * *

 

Light had drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the night. L didn’t sleep a second. Nor did he tear his gaze away from the brunette.

 

The patient was clearly in some pain still, unable to get comfortable as he shifted on the bed. When the nurses arrived in the morning, shocked at seeing L still there, and even more shocked at seeing Light awake, they upped Light’s medication and immediately summoned the attending.

 

“Yagami-kun? I’m glad to see you awake.”

 

Light just nodded calmly at the doctor. 

 

L squeezed his hand. Every time Light had woken, he’d told L to leave. Sometimes more emphatically than others. But he never tried to tug his hand away. So, L had held on. 

 

“Light, your father gave permission for L to stay and hear the reports on your condition, but you are an adult and have privacy rights. Is it alright with you that he’s here?”

 

Both the L and doctor studied the brunette carefully. Light didn’t lift his eyes. “I don’t care.”

 

L smiled, sadly. Coming from Light, that was the equivalent of begging L to stay. 

 

“Alright, well, I need to update you on your treatment and prognosis, and then the police are waiting downstairs. They have some questions about the man who attacked you.”

 

The hand beneath his tightened. L knew what Light was thinking. If the police had questions, why wasn’t Soichiro Yagami asking them? If his father was here, he wouldn’t be waiting downstairs for the doctor to finish. 

 

“Let’s start with the concussion.”

 

The doctor methodically moved through each of Light’s injuries, from his head wound, to the welts and burns on his back, to the fractures in his radius and ribs. The man’s questions were direct and not judgemental, but L could still feel the tension in Light’s grip. The brunette was angry. Or perhaps more accurately, hiding his shame with anger. Much like his father could not tolerate the shame of having a homosexual son, Light could not stand the shame of being a victim. Which, in turn, made L angry. Light had done nothing wrong. L was the one who had cheated on Light, and Mikami was the one who had nearly murdered Light. 

 

Light’s only error seemed to be particularly poor taste in men. 

 

L let his thumb rub circles around the inside of Light’s wrist. The brunette responded subtly; only years of knowing and loving Light-kun let L know that Light was grateful for the support. 

 

“Okay, Light. The last thing. Your sexual activities. We ran an STD panel, and everything came back negative, which is great. But, and I’m sure the police will want to talk about this, I’m going to strongly recommend that you find a new partner. Or at the very least, try to avoid the activities that cause tearing. You’re very lucky you haven’t developed serious infections.”

 

“Alright,” Light hissed. 

 

The doctor gave the patient a reproving frown. Light leveled his best glare at the man, and L smirked. He’d missed that. A lot. 

 

“Well as far as medical concerns go, you’ll make a full recovery. Minimal physical and mental exertion until that concussion heals. You’ll need some pain meds, which I’ll write a script for and some ointment for the cuts,” the doctor looked up from the file, “I’m also going to recommend some psychological counseling.”

 

“No, absolutely not,” Light snapped.

 

The physician sighed. L imagined he had very little success whenever he made this suggestion.

 

“It’s just my recommendation. You and your family can decide if you wish to go. But I highly recommend it.”

 

The man stood and left, ignoring the ire in the bed. L was actually relieved Light was angry. Mikami hadn’t broken him. His best friend was meant to be fiery, and months of psychological and physical torture hadn’t taken that from him. Of course, L was under no illusion that there wasn’t something very broken inside of Light. The Yagami he knew would never have allowed anyone to beat him like Mikami had. 

 

But, for now, at least Light was fighting.

 

* * *

 

Two months ago… 

 

Light knew he should go to the hospital. His ass hadn’t stopped bleeding from Mikami’s ministrations the night before. L had never fucked him like that. L probably didn’t fuck Near like that either. Light pushed himself up, wincing at the aches in his side. 

 

“Light!”

 

Mikami was back. 

 

“How are you today, beautiful?”

 

“I’m fine,” Light answered coolly. 

 

While he didn’t care what Mikami did to him at night, he did have class tomorrow, with L, and he needed to be able to present his paper without blood dripping down his thigh. 

 

“God, you look so perfect,” Mikami sighed, capturing Light’s lips in a deep kiss. 

 

Light sighed and opened his mouth. Whenever he and L had kissed passionately, their tongues had fought, battling for control. With Mikami, all Light had to do was take it. The older man probed deeply, using teeth and tongue to dominate Light’s mouth entirely. His hand drifted up to squeeze Light’s throat gently, waiting until Light was forced to cough, before releasing.

 

When he was done, Mikami sat down on the bed, pulling Light into his lap. 

 

“So, I was thinking,” Mikami began. 

 

Light rolled his eyes, thankfully, where the other man couldn’t see. Mikami was not the least intelligent sycophant Light had ever acquired, but he was nowhere near the level of intelligence of L. So whatever he had been thinking, was bound to be less interesting than what L was whispering to Near right now.

 

“We should get married.”

 

Well, Mikami got points for saying something that Light was not expecting. 

 

“I know this isn’t the grand proposal you deserve, but I wanted to see how you felt about marrying me, before I surprised you.”

 

Light shook his head. “I’ll have to think about it. Marriage isn’t something I’ve given much thought to yet. I had always planned on finishing university first.”

 

“Of course, you’re so dedicated. But if we got married now, you wouldn’t need to finish university. You could do whatever you wanted. I would take care of you.”

 

“I’m not dropping out, Mikami.”

 

Mikami laughed, cuddling Light closer to his chest. “Alright, but we should still get married.”

 

That night, Light was left suspended from the ceiling with his ass burning from spanking Mikami had given him. But the bleeding had stopped.  

 

He went to class the next day flawlessly perfect, with a ring on his left hand. 

 

* * *

 

L squeezed Light’s fingers, glaring at the contingent of detectives sent to question them. It seemed as though Light’s father had prepped Detectives Aizawa and Ukita for the interview, but couldn’t be bothered to attend personally. 

 

“So you went back, correct?”

 

“I returned to the place where I was living,” Light replied, icily. “Being committed to university, I needed a place to stay on campus.”

 

“Your name is on the lease of an apartment on campus. Shared with L, actually,” Aizawa commented, glancing at the raven. “Why did you not return there?”

 

“Because I didn’t want to interrupt him and his boyfriend,” Light quipped.

 

The looks the detectives shot L were reminiscent of the times in high school when Light’s band of followers just realized the kid they’d been bullying was Light’s best friend. L remained stoic, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around Light and tell him the truth. 

 

He had never allowed Near to set foot in their apartment. 

 

“So, you… so you’ve been living with Mikami Teru for…” Detective Mogi stuttered. 

 

At this point, L believed Light would be perfectly justified in strangling these two men. 

 

“Yes, that is correct. L acquired a new lover. I moved out. I needed to stay on campus. Mikami Teru offered me a place to live. After a couple weeks we began sleeping together. A few weeks later, he began hitting me. A few weeks after that, he began experimenting. I didn’t leave because there was no where else to go.”

 

“Are you saying you didn’t have any other friends who would let you stay with them?”

 

“Are you suggesting that I should have invaded a friend’s home, uninvited?” Light challenged, “Regardless, is the purpose of your investigation not to determine whether or not Mikami Teru slammed my head against the bathroom counter and left me to die?”

 

“Well, if you were letting him beat you, then-”

 

“Then it is still attempted murder,” L interrupted. “Mikami Teru assaulted Light, in such a way that Light would have died had I not found him in time.” 

 

“L, if Light and Teru’s relationship was structured such that this was normal, then it’s negligent homicide at best. And that’s only if Light died.”

 

If Light died. That was the at best scenario? The detectives were in very real danger of L beginning an internal investigation into every case they had ever worked. Assuming L didn’t strangle them himself. Watari would be more than willing to lend his credentials for that purpose. Or bail him out.

 

“At no point have I ever asked for nor willingly allowed Mikami Teru to slam my head against a counter,” Light replied. 

 

“But you allowed him to sexually penetrate you, multiple times. You allowed him to hit you, and any number of other kinky things.”

 

“Get out.”

 

Light flashed him a surprised look, the first emotion the brunette had shown since Aizawa and Mogi had entered. 

 

L ignored the unspoken question and stood, releasing Light’s hand for the first time since they’d arrived at the hospital. He slouched over to stand in front of the two detectives. 

 

“You should be aware that you will be fired from the National Police Agency within the day. Before that happens, if you can assign two competent officers to take Light-kun’s statement, you will be able to keep the reference. Get out.”

 

The two police officers shared a skeptical look, before turning and leaving the room. 

 

L pulled out his phone, sending the details to his guardian. It was not a bluff; the Lawliet name held quite a bit of power, and, if those detectives treated every victim the way they had treated Light, the force would be better off without them. 

 

“It doesn’t matter which officers interview me,” Light muttered from behind him, “My father will still be their boss.”

 

L turned back to face Light. The brunette was propped up, staring at the sheet covering him. 

 

“Mikami will not be allowed to get away with this.”

 

“L…”

 

“Light-kun, he hurt you!” L shook his head and whispered again, “He hurt you.” 

 

That was unforgivable.

 

“L…”

 

“No, Light. He will be brought to justice. Even if your father is-”

 

“L!”

 

The raven stopped pacing and stared at Light.

 

“I don’t care.”

 

L blinked at the younger man. The brunette was watching the door where the detectives had disappeared, and the doctor and nurses before them, not sad or angry or stubborn. 

 

“Light-kun…”

 

“No, L. I don’t care.”

 

Those beautiful caramel eyes turned to meet his gaze. L felt his heart seize at what he saw. The fight that Light had had was gone.

 

* * *

 

One month ago… 

 

That bastard had had the guts to speak to him. 

 

In front of everyone. 

 

Light wanted to murder him.

 

Light put his fist to the tile, bruising his knuckles further. 

 

Near had cornered him right before his psych class, one of the few he did not share with L. The kid had waited until Mikami had driven off, before walking up to Light and requesting a moment of his time. 

 

To which Light had refused. He had no interest in conversing with L’s fuckbuddy. 

 

But the kid didn’t leave. Near had asked his questions in the middle of the lecture hall. Light ignored him entirely, instead focusing on showing no hint of pain from the stripes Mikami had given him last night. Near was relentless though. He finally got to the point of demanding that Light tell him how he felt about L. 

 

“Did you ever really love him?”

 

If Light had had a gun, Near would be dead. 

 

The brunette had stood, giving the first-year the his full attention. 

 

“You will leave. You will not come back. If you speak to me again, I will kill you. If you hurt L, I will kill you. Get out.”

 

The professor had entered then, and Near had shot Light one final glare before leaving the hall. 

 

Now Light stood in the ice cold water of the shower, replaying the moment in his head over, and over, and over. Mikami wasn’t due back for another couple of hours, so Light had the option of doing whatever he wanted to do. 

 

Which was nothing. 

 

* * *

 

L had taken Light’s hand again, though they hadn’t spoken since the detectives had left. Once their eyes had met though, they hadn’t been able to look away. L was perched on a stool near Light’s head. His free hand kept wanting to leave his knees and comb through the soft brown hair. 

 

L had realized he wasn’t leaving Light. Not a chance in hell. 

 

He felt his phone vibrate. 

 

Very reluctantly, he glanced down and saw it Watari’s number. 

 

“Yes?”

 

“You’re still with him?”

 

L glanced over at the brunette, whose cinnamon eyes were turned away now. 

 

“Yes, I am with Light-kun. I will put you on speakerphone, Watari.”

 

Light glanced up, quickly schooling his features into a blank mask. Before that, there had been a shimmer of hurt that scratched at L’s heart.

 

“Hello, Light.”

 

“Watari.”

 

His mentor and Light probably hadn’t spoken to each other since the last weekend Light had stayed over, six months ago. 

 

L balanced the phone on his knee, so he could push his thumb into his bottom lip. The other one was permanently attached to Light’s, if L had his way. 

 

“Detectives Aizawa and Ukita have been relieved from duty. I found several cases, besides this one, where they neglected to investigate properly. Detective Matsuda was going to be taking Light’s statement, but it will no longer be necessary. Mikami Teru hung himself early this morning. They found his body an hour ago.”

 

The two men in the hospital looked at each other. 

 

“Thank you, Watari, I will call you later.” 

 

L could see the relief in Light’s eyes. The brunette was probably telling himself he was relieved that his family would not be put through an ugly trial or that Detective Matsuda would not be asking intimate questions about his sex life. Light probably wasn’t aware how viscerally he was reacting the fact that he was safe from a monster.

 

They were in the same position they’d started, Light laying on the bed, L perched on the chair, both holding hands, but that was not enough for L anymore. He needed the brunette in his arms. 

 

“Please, Light-kun, may I hold you?”

 

Light froze. He stared at L through the same blank mask he’d been wearing since Watari called. L stared back with wide eyes. If Light refused, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to take it. He wasn’t leaving, he couldn’t. But not being able to wrap his arms around this boy right now was maddening. 

 

He waited, owlish eyes gazing into Light’s brown ones, silently begging for forgiveness. Then, finally, Light nodded. L didn’t give Light the chance to reconsider as he nearly tackled the patient in his bed. 

 

L’s hands slid up to cup the brunette's face, seeing the moisture collecting there. He moved to brush the first tear away, extending his arm to smooth his thumb against the perfect cheek. As he reached forward, his arm was suddenly caught.

 

The raven had been so intent on the tear caught on in the soft brown lashes, that he didn’t register Light’s arm moving to catch his elbow. He glanced down, seeing Light's long fingers digging into his forearm. When L’s focus moved back to Light’s eyes, the tear became irrelevant. 

 

Anger burned in Light’s gaze, slowly bleeding into the rest of his features. His eyes were focused on L’s arm, where his sleeve had risen to reveal a breadth of skin. L followed his line of sight and froze. 

 

“L?”

 

“Light. It’s alright.”

 

The brunette’s gaze flicked up to his, before Light slowly gripped L’s wrist, sliding the white sleeve of L’s shirt up. They both looked at the set of scars, four white and fading, and one still scabbed over. Light ran his thumb over the only vertical one.

 

“I’m going to kill him,” Light whispered.

 

“No, Light-kun,” L said, tugging the sleeve down. It wouldn't matter, Light had an eidetic memory. “This has all been my fault. All of it.”

 

“Why, L?”

 

Obsidian eyes drifted upward. Light could be asking anything. Or more likely, everything. L didn’t answer, praying that Light wasn’t about to take his hand away.

 

“L.”

 

“The first one was the night you left. Matt found me when he came by to meet you for your study group. I told him not to say anything.”

 

“And the others?”

 

“The second was the day after you slept with him for the first time.” Light stiffened. L felt the corners of his mouth twitch sadly; Light never could hide from him. “I saw the way you sat in class.”

 

Light hesitated, then nodded. 

 

So L continued, watching their intertwined hands on the bed. 

 

“The third was the day you told me to get away from you. The fourth was day after you got engaged.” 

 

L shifted his attention to the smooth skin of Light’s hand beneath his own. L had slipped the ring off of Light’s finger just before his father walked in. Light’s fingers flexed, bringing L back to the present. 

 

“The last was for no specific reason. That day, you looked perfect. Like you always do.”

 

* * *

 

Zero months ago… Yesterday

 

“You still love him!” Mikami shouted. 

 

“I hate him!” Light yelled back. 

 

The older man slapped him, causing Light to fall against the couch. 

 

“You asked to work with him!” Mikami screamed, falling upon Light. His hands closed around the brunette’s throat, cutting off any response. 

 

Light kicked, trying to dislodge him, but his thumbs pressed harder into the brunette’s windpipe. Eventually, the lack of air caused Light to go limp, slipping into half-consciousness. Mikami might actually kill him this time. He still couldn’t care. 

 

The pressure around his neck disappeared.

 

Light heard more than felt the next slap that crossed his cheek, adding to his unseeing daze. Next he knew, he was choking in a different way. Mikami had thrust into his mouth, fucking hard down his throat. Light gagged, but the dark-haired man continued chasing his release. Eventually, he came, deep in the back of Light’s throat, where the brunette had no choice but to swallow or suffocate. 

 

When Mikami pulled out, Light sat up, coughing. 

 

He was supposed to meet L, to work on their joint project, in a few minutes. Without a word, Light stood, heading towards the door to grab his shoes. 

 

“You’re still going to meet him? He cheated on you and your going back to him?”

 

“Enough, Mikami. I have to go.”

 

Light heard the footsteps behind him, but he didn’t have a chance to turn before, Mikami had slammed him headfirst into the wall. The brunette struggled to right himself, before Mikami grabbed Light by the hair and threw him across the room. 

 

He skidded, hitting his shoulder against the corner of the table, and turned to see the enraged man bearing down on him. Fear. It took the genius longer to figure it out than he was used to, but that was what he felt. 

 

Light turned, trying to lunge towards the bathroom and lock the door, but Mikami got to him first. 

 

“You can’t go back to him! He doesn’t see how perfect you are! Why can’t you fucking let him go!?”

 

The blow to his shoulders sent him sprawling, but Light continued trying to crawl for the bathroom. The prevailing thought in his mind was how L was going to be waiting for him at the library, but he wasn’t going to show. 

 

Mikami followed behind him shouting and screaming. 

 

When Light finally reached the bathroom, he tried to kick the door closed behind him, struggling dazedly to keep Mikami out. Light was able to get upright, his back against the door, holding it against the grad student. 

 

“He doesn’t even love you!”

 

The truth hit Light hard, and Mikami knew it. He used the brunette’s distraction to force the door open, grabbing Light by the throat again. Light clawed at his hands, fighting back for the first time.

 

He copied one of L’s favorite tactics, and kicked. 

 

It almost worked. Mikami twisted in pain, losing the grip with one hand, but then used the other and Light’s imbalance to smash Light’s head against the bathroom counter. 

 

After that, Light knew only darkness.

 

* * *

 

Light wrapped his hand around L’s wrist, pulling him back to lay down with him against the pillows. L’s obsidian eyes were as dark as Light had remembered. The bruises beneath them were far more prominent. 

 

It suddenly clicked. 

 

“Near came up to me a few weeks ago. He asked me if I ever really loved you.”

 

L blinked, pushing a thumb against his lip. “I told him to stay away from you.”

 

“I said something similar.”

 

“He said you threatened to kill him.”

 

Light had done that. He’d warned that sneaky bastard that if he hurt L, he would kill him. And now Light learned L had been hurting all along. 

 

“I thought you were happy,” Light whispered. 

 

L’s eyes darkened further. 

 

Very tentatively, Light slid his hand up to tangle his fingers in the wild locks. 

 

“No Light,” L breathed, “I have not been happy in six months.”

 

Light felt L’s hand slowly slip to his waist. Light scooted closer, ignoring the aches shooting through his body. L’s movements quickly lost their hesitance as L wrapped familiar arms entirely around the brunette, pulling them into a tight embrace. Light ignored the pain of the action and hugged L tightly to his chest. 

 

They lay there, tangled together with each other for over an hour. It may have lasted longer, but a sharp cough intruded from the doorway.

 

* * *

 

Light immediately released L and forced himself upright, to meet his father’s disapproving gaze. L slid out of the hospital bed, keeping one hand extended, in case Light needed it. It was still a surprise, when the brunette reached behind him for support and grasped L’s hand tightly. 

 

“So it’s true?” Soichiro Yagami asked, gratingly.

 

L could see the tension permeate Light’s shoulders. It was impossible to tell if it came from the lashes bandaged below, or the fear, hiding even deeper. 

 

“Is what true? Light asked, donning the guise of the perfect son effortlessly. He didn’t release L’s hand though. 

 

“Is it true that you are gay?” Soichiro Yagami growled. “I want to hear it from you.”

 

Light didn’t answer. 

 

“Is it true?” Yagami-san yelled.

 

L saw the quivering Light was trying to hide beneath the mask. The brunette remained silent though. 

 

“Tell me it’s not true, Light,” Detective Yagami begged, throwing his hands up. “Tell me he was threatening you. Tell me he was threatening your sister. Tell me it’s not true. Tell me you aren’t a fag.”

 

Still, Light didn’t speak. 

 

His father halted his tirade, breathing heavily and staring at his son. No one spoke for several minutes, but L kept his grip firm. Eventually Soichiro Yagami straightened to his full height.

 

“You are never to set foot in my house again. You are not my son.”

 

The police chief spun on his heel and strode towards the door. At the frame he paused. Without looking back, he said, “I wish you a quick recovery.”

 

And then Light’s father was gone. 

 

Light didn’t move for a long time. Eventually, L perched on the bed behind the brunette and wrapped his arms around him. It took thirty two minutes for Light’s mask to break. When it did, Light sagged into L’s embrace, shaking uncontrollably. L held on. 

 

The day was ending when Light finally sat up. 

 

“Light-kun?” L asked, quietly. 

 

The brunette glanced back over his shoulder, not meeting the raven’s eyes. 

 

“Come home.”

 

Light jerked. “What about-”

 

“No. There is no one else. Just you.”

 

“Then why?”

 

L understood what Light was asking. It had been part of the question he had asked when he’d seen L’s scars. L hadn’t wanted to talk about it then, and he didn’t want to talk about it now. But he needed Light more. 

 

“She was pretty.”

 

Understandably, his answer confused Light. “Who?”

 

“All of them. But Misa Amane, specifically. That was the first time.”

 

L didn’t have to say more. Even concussed, Light could unravel the rest. He looked up to meet L’s eyes. 

 

“You thought I would choose my family over you?”

 

“I didn’t want you to have to choose.”

 

Light’s cinnamon gaze bore into him, searching for any shadow of a lie. L stood his ground, willing to fight to the death if that’s what it took to get Light back. He stared back into the perfect face, memorizing again and again. Until, very slowly, Light twisted and leaned forward, letting his lips meet L’s. L nearly cried when Light kissed him for the first time in six months.

 

When the strain became too much for Light’s injuries, they slumped back against the pillows in a new embrace. L gently stroked Light’s hair, while Light clutched at the raven’s back. Shadows flitted across the brunette’s face, as they had for months. 

 

“Light-kun? Will you tell me what he did to you?”

 

“You already know,” Light answered, bitterly. 

 

“It won’t change how I feel about you,” L answered, addressing Light’s real question. 

 

The brunette closed his eyes. L leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Light’s again. Light pulled him tighter, unable to let go. L held on too. He also wouldn’t let go. Never.

 

The world would burn down around them before either of them ever let go. 


End file.
